Arch-supporting shoe



MCh 5 A. SI QURTIS I ARCH SUPPORTING 51103 Original Filed July 6, 192'? Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED. STATES ARNOLD SAWYER concurs, or MARLBQRO, MASSACHUSETTS.

ARCH-SUPPORTING SHOE.

Original application filed July 6, 1927, Serial No. 208,851. Divided. and this application filed March 5,

- 1928. Serial No. 252,032.

This invention relates to shoes designed to give effective support to the-arch of the foot,

- and more particularly to the manufacture of insoles adapted to the relief of such infirmities as require special support for the lon itudinal arch of the foot. Accordingly tie invention comprehends a novel arch-fitting insole and a shoe having such insole as a feature.

Insoles of the type referred to havebeen proposed heretofore and generally they have.

been successful in their purpose so long as the arch supporting element retains its shape and proper position, but this has been found to be difficult because of the materials used, which may not stand up under the heavy strains on the shoe when worn, or because of the difficulty in lasting the upper about the arch support element and drawing it into its proper relation to the last when the shoe is being built.

The object of the present invention is to provide an insole which embodies an archsupport element that is preshaped to fit the instep of the last and, in addition, will retain its shape and corrective effect on the foot of the wearer of the shoe into which it is built, under the StIllIlSOf wear. Accordingly an important feature of the invention resides in the manner in which the insole and its archsupport element are assembled to form a unitary article as will hereinafter be set forth in detail.

To the accomplishment of the above object and such others as may hereinafter appear, as will be understood from the following description by those skilled in'the art, the invention comprises the features and combination of parts hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, of an insole blank having a grain side lip cut at its inside shank;

Figs. 2 and 3 are views in plan and section respectively, of the arch support brace or other element to be received in the shank slit;

Fig. 4 is a view, in perspective, of the ribbed side of a welt insole showing the arch-support brace attached;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, in plan, showing in dotted lines the initial assembly of the arch-support brace with the insole and in the plane thereof, and showing in full lines the final, arch-fitting position of the brace, proecting upwardly and outwardly from the sock face of the insole; and

Fig. 6 is a view, in cross-section, of an un' bottomed welt shoe having the novel archsupport insole as a feature. In explaining the invention the manufacture of a welt shoe will be described but those skilled in the art f shoemaking will recognize that the invention is applicable to any type of shoewhich uses .an insole in its construction.

In the embodiment of the invention illus-' trated in the drawings an insole blank 10 shaped to fitthe outline of the last bottom is fitted with a light lip 12 (Fig. 1), on its grain side or sock face throughout the inside shanlc- 1 This operation may readily be performed by 75 a Goodyear insole channeling machine fitted with a straight knife and edge gage arranged adjacent. to the shank edge of the in sole to produce an edge slit 14 parallel thereto. The slit 14 may be made more rapidly in such a machine by running in through the heel-seat and out 'at the ball-line, as illustrated, but for the purposes of this invention a slit substantially as long as the longitudinal dimension of the arch-support brace 16 (Fig. 2) is all that is required. Thereafter, for a welt insole, the flesh side or tread face is fitted with a sewing rib 18 in any approved manner which provides a channel 20 and feather 22. It will be observed, from Fig. 4, that the base of the grain side lip slit l4 is'somewhat inward of the between-substance or base of the sewing-rib 18 affording ample -depth for receiving the brace 16, preferably of a relatively heavy leather such as heeling stock. I r

The arch-support element 16 has somewhat the shape of a box-toe but is longer in propor-' tion to its width and its outer or arch fitting portion 24 (Fig. 2) is larger than itsinner 100 or securing margin 26. The portion 24 must be large enough to embrace the instep of the last while the portion 26 requires only sufiicient material for anchorage to the insole. As seen from Fig. 3 both longitudinal edges 1 of the brace 16 are skived as is requisite for good shoemaking.

Referring now to Fig. 5 (dot and dash lines) it will be observed that the outcurve of the inner edge 28 of the element 16 is 110 j in the slit-14; its other end is then secured to flatter than the incurve-of the edge slit 14. In order to seat the edge 28 against the base of the slit 14, as in Figs.4'and 6, it is necessary to flex the brace 16 longitudinally. If the element 16 is bent so that it is convexed toward the sock face of the sole then, when seated in the edge slit 14, it will stand upward and outwardly relative to said sock face and will have a shape for fitting under the'instep of the foot of the wearer of the shoe. The lip 12 is purposely made light so that it will be flexible enough to lift from the feather 22 as the curved element16 is sprung beneath it to seat at the bottom of the slit 14. In Fig. 5 (full lines) the arch-fitting element 16 is shown in its final, flexed form the curved' form of the brace having lifted the lip 12 slightly from the feather. in practice one end of the brace 16 having first been properly positioned in the slit 14, it is stapled to the feather 22, as at 30 Fig. 5, driving the staple through from the feather and clenching it. on the brace beneath the turned or raised lip 12. After having been anchored at one end the element 16 may easily be shaped by pressure toward its secured end to seat completely retain its flexed form and thereafter the intermediate fastenings may be applied. Ob-

viously any suitable iastening means may be,

used although metallic staples are preferred.

To complete the arch-fitting insole the under side of the lip 12 is cemented, and is then laid down on the marginal portion 26 of the shaped and upstanding element 16 in any convenient maner as by a stick; 1

- The insole is now ready for assembly on the last with the counter and upper materials.

It will be observed that the insole blank 10 and arch-fitting support 16 are firmly secured together and the two elements may be handled as a unitary article in the further shoemaking processes. When the insole is placed on'the last bottom the preshaped brace 16 fits against the contour of the instep of the last and no substantial shaping thereof is required during .the lasting operation. As 'a result superior shoemaking is attained. Attention is particularly called to the novel process of assembling the brace and insoleblank because the highly important advantage of having the brace retain its arch-fitting form after being built into the shoe is obtained by securin the brace. in position after, not before, it has een flexed to fit the arch.

After the upper materials have been lasted the feather 22, at the inside shank, is brought into contact withthe under side of the brace (Fig. 6), the slightly lifted lip 12, however,

. aids in causing the insole to fit the last bottom at the shank and permits easier and more perfect lasting at this difiicult part of the shoe.

The shoe is thereafter bottomed as usual, a

welt 32 being first inseamed tojthe sewingunitary part of the insole, and lies during the lasting operation entirely below the tread face of the insole and the marginal portion of the uppermatorials that are being manipulated.

This application is a division from an application Serial'No.203',851, filed July 6,

1927,.entitled Process of making arch-sup.-

port insoles in which applicationfwill be found claims to .the novel. process of manufacturing the arch-support insole and the shoe claimed herein. I

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and the preferred construction of the insole and the shoe having been specifically described,,3vhat is'claime as new, is p 1. Anareh-support insole'havingan edge slit between the heel-breast and ball lines at its inside shank, and an arch-supporting element extending upwardly, and outwardly from the margin of the insole and secured Within said sli v 2. An arch-support insole having an edge slit at its inside shank, forming a grain side lip, and an arch-supporting element secured within said slit to the marginal portion of the insole lying below said lip.

3. An arch-support insole having an edge slit at its inside shank, and an arch-support ing element shaped to fit the contour of the instep portion of the last at its inside shank, seated insaid slit and held by said seating to stand upwardly and outi'vardly withrelation to the sock face of the insole.

4. A shoe having an insole, upper materials and outsole, said insole'being slit at its inner edge between'the heel-soat and ball lines, said slithaving a lateral arch support wing secured, therein to stiffen the upper materials beneath the arch of the foot. 5. A shoe having an insole, upper materials and an outsole, said insole having secured to its inside shank,-a flexible sheet leather brace pre-flexed to stand upwardly and outwardly from the sock face of theinsole and held from flattening by securem'entof the lower edge in flexed condition to the margin of the insole, to fit under the instep of the wearer of the shoe and stiffen the upper materials beneath the arch of the foot. y 

